Texas Republicans are steaming mad about comments made by the Environmental Protection Agency’s regional director for Texas, who off-handedly compared the EPA’s regulatory strategy to old-fashioned crucifixions.

“It is kind of like how the Romans used to conquer villages in the Mediterranean,” Al Armendariz, the top official in the EPA’s Region 6 (which includes Texas), said in 2010 remarks that went viral today. “They’d go into a little Turkish town somewhere, they’d find the first five guys they saw and they’d crucify them. Then that little town was really easy to manage for the next few years.”

First up, here are the thoughts of Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, who has been battling the EPA in court over the agency’s regulatory authority:

“The EPA Regional Administrator’s outrageous comments about his ‘philosophy of enforcement’–which he acknowledged is akin to crucifying businesses–is further proof that this Administration is more worried about aggressively advancing its radical agenda then fostering job growth and expanding our economy. Not only has this flawed and reckless approach forced Texas into unnecessary litigation against the Obama Administration, but worse, it has imposed unnecessary burdens on the very businesses and employers that are responsible for creating new jobs. The Administrator’s outrageous statements thoroughly capture the very same mentality that recently led a federal appeals court to chastise the EPA for blatantly disregarding the law.”

Rep. Ted Poe, the Republican from Humble, went even further, demanding the resignation of national EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson:

“The comments made by Administrator Armendariz back in 2010 confirm what we’ve known all along: the EPA’s crusade to destroy the oil and gas industry is a politically premeditated effort, not one meant to protect the environment. Administrator Armendariz’s words reflect his disdain for the oil and gas industry and make clear that his decisions are made without an ounce of impartiality. He should be fired.

“The EPA is an agency charged with protecting the environment, instead it has focused its efforts on targeting, intimidating, and vilifying the energy industry in any way it can. The aggressive assault the EPA has unleashed on the oil and gas industry has not only increased the cost of energy, it has destroyed jobs.

“The oil and gas industry accounts for 9.2 million jobs in the United States. ‘Making examples’ of this field has put American jobs in jeopardy. Ironically, Mr. Armendariz’s oversees the EPA’s efforts in Texas, which has been hit especially hard. Oil and gas and related industries make up nearly a quarter of the Texas economy. An assault on oil and gas is an assault on Texas.”